Break the Punching Bag
by Darknesse Sidhe
Summary: If there's one thing Xerxes knows, it's how to made Sharon mad. Even unintentionally. Unfortunately for him, Sharon has a paper fan.
1. Shota Enough

**I don't own Pandora Hearts.**

**Oh yes and by the way, the following contains some spoilers if you have not read Retrace I and II or if you have not seen the first several episodes, and some very minor spoilers you for later one which you might not catch, but I think I'll just warn you anyways.**

Break the Punching Bag 1: Shota Enough

*Set after Oz was dropped into the Abyss.*

The dark carriage went up the path to the gates of the Rainsworth Mansion, the big brass wheels clattering along with the horses' hooves against the stone.

Inside it, 13-year-old Sharon Rainsworth, daughter of Shelly Rainsworth who was in return daughter of Lady Cheryl Rainsworth, was angry. Oh so very angry indeed! It was Break that was making her mad as usual, of course.

The two had gone to the Vessalius Mansion to apologize to Oscar-sama for the absence of Sharon's sick mother Shelly Rainsworth at Oscar's nephew Oz Vessalius's coming-of-age ceremony. After they had returned to the carriage, Sharon had said to Break, "What do you think of Oz Vessalius?"

This was actually a very reasonable and innocent question to ask considering Sharon had just spoken to Oz, but apparently Xerxes Break hadn't seen it that way, because he smiled his characteristic indulgent smile and said, "Why, he's just shota enough for your tastes, my lady!"

Her temper flared.

"WHAT? That's not what I meant!"

"Ha ha ha …."

And then later it turned out that Oz had been dropped into the Abyss by the shinigami after a hundred years of silence, blah-blah-blah, and that Oz's valet Gilbert was wandering the woods somewhere, heaven knows why. So of course Break naturally chose that moment to remember that Gil was probably Vincent Nightray's brother, so they had to turn the carriage around and Break went hunting for the boy while Sharon explained the situation to Lord Oscar-sama. Xerxes had brought Gilbert back to the Vessalius mansion and Sharon and Break had headed back to the carriage again.

"Myyy!" said Break once they were moving. "That Gilbert-kun was certainly adorable. Kuh kuh kuh kuh … he's juuust shota enough for your tastes, my lady!"

"Please would you refrain from making such careless comments!"

He chuckled while she seethed.

And later while driving down the road they had passed a random boy by the road. And would you know it, Break had pointed him out and said, "Now there's one for you, Sharon-chan!"

The result was one murderous Sharon-chan, who had been ready to strangle him, Emily and all.

Sharon was still fuming now, even as the carriage went through the gates and stopped in front of the entrance to the mansion. Break opened the door for her and she got out without looking at him.

At her expression, Xerxes and his Emily doll started laughing quietly with each other – again, dammit!

They went up to the mansion and were welcomed in by the people on guard; once inside, before she headed back to her room, Sharon turned to Break.

"Seriously, Xerx-nii-san. What do you think of the Vessalius boy and his valet …?" She faltered, looking up at him.

Xerxes just laughed. "Like I said before, my laaady, although I do not understand what you see in them, I agree that they are both very young-looking for their age. What do you think, Emily?"

"Certainly Sharon-sama should worry less about these things!" replied the round-headed doll. "I do hope she stops making such a huge deal out of shota boys and starts paying attention to everything else!"

Break clutched his sides and he and Emily laughed together.

Sharon's expression suddenly grew strangely calm. Like peace before a storm.

Then:

"YOU WRETCHED - !"

Sharon brought a book down on his head as if trying to flatten it. Wait – where had she gotten a book in the first place? Oh well.

"Ho ho ho – that's not very nice, my lady!"

Break straightened, grinning and wincing at the same time.

Sharon glared up at Break, her face the picture of annoyance and anger. She looked like she would love nothing beter than to have his had on a platter and the chance to dine on his flesh. She would.

Time to retreat.

"Bye-bye," said Xerxes, smiling and giving a small wave. Then he turned around and ran for it, laughing – and clutching his head as if that would help dull the pain. Sharon drew a huge paper fan out of thin air and ran after him, waving the fan around and screaming, "Come back here, you imbecile!"

"No thank you, Sharon-chan; I think I'm fine, thank you!"

But like a tiger stalking prey she eventually caught up to him, and probably would've made him wish he'd stayed in the Abyss with the Will, but Sharon's mother Shelly-sama cam out of her room and reminded her that it was time to go to bed. Not wanting to disturb her sick mother, Sharon agreed and the two Rainsworth women went off chatting to each other serenely, leaving a forgotten Break face-flat on the floor.

That hall, empty but for Break (and Emily), was quiet for a long time.

Break stirred.

"Ow."

**Constructive criticism is welcome, compliments are welcome, flames are less welcome but I have a room just for flames so go ahead if you want!**

**Wanna guess what the next chapter will be about? Here's a clue: it involves a very obnoxious OC boy, Break blaming Emily for something, aaand most of all, Sharon's harisens! No more guessing after I've posted the chapter!**

**And just so you know, I prefer lengthy reviews to comments. You don't have to but I'd appreciate it if you wrote something more than, "Nice/Good/Terrible, update soon!" which seems to be a popular thing going on right now ….**

**So review!**


	2. Her Harisens

**Like I said before, I don't own Pandora Hearts.**

**Some minor spoilers you might not understand if you haven't read at least Volume 2, or seen the episodes … I think it was at least episode eight …? Spoilers aren't humongous, though.**

Break the Punching Bag 2: Her Harisens

*Set one year after Oz was dropped into the Abyss.*

The Rainsworth Dukedom had somehow mysteriously ended up entertaining some 16-year-old boy called Roy-kun, the only son of some minor Lord whose name Sharon had forgotten. According to everyone, Roy was a disagreeable, obnoxious, rude young man and his frustrated, hair-tearing parents did not know what to do with him, not anymore. Still, despite this Sharon's mother Shelly-sama wished to give him a warm and courteous welcome as if he belonged to one of the four great dukedoms.

"Now Sharon," had said Shelly earlier. "I want you to promise to be kind and polite to this young man, and patient towards him no matter what, okay?"

Sharon looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. "Why of course, mother."

Shelly smiled happily back but not much later she had turned to Break when they were safe in the hall and out of Sharon's hearing range.

"Break, I am worried that Sharon will hurt this boy should he happen to provoke her. Please, will you do me a favour?"

"Of course."

"Please take all of her harisens and hide them in a place where she will hopefully not find them until after this visit is over."

Xerxes looked at her for a moment and with a slightly strained smile he said, "But she'll hurt me, Shelly-san …."

"And me!" cried Emily.

"Well of course we could not forget Miss Emily as well," clucked Xerxes.

With a firm look on her face, Shelly raised her hand for silence. "I do not want to hear it."

Break resisted a groan. She was in one of her stubborn moods again ….

"But – "

"I said, I don't want to heart it! Am I clear, Break?"

He sighed and gave the amused but obedient and slightly forced smile of someone under pressure. "Yes, Shelly-sama."

Shelly smiled cunningly at him and departed.

Xerxes glanced sideways at Emily, perched on his shoulder. "My, myyy, Emily! This Roy-kun must be quite a person for Shelly-sama to be so worried about Sharon!"

"Oh, he is!" trilled Emily. "I heard Reim-san saying that he's the most insulting boy you've ever met!"

Break cackled. "Fu fu fu, this should be interesting!"

Roy was a tall, slender boy with short brown hair and a moody expression that could've matched Elliot Nightray's. hands shoved deep into his pockets, he sneered when he saw Sharon at the entrance of the Rainsworth family mansion.

"Hello, you must be Roy-kun!" she said with a smile.

"And who are you supposed to be?" said Roy insolently.

"I am Sharon Rainsworth, the granddaughter of the Duchess Rainsworth. Pleased to meet you!" She stuck out her hand.

Roy rudely slapped it away.

"Well, _I'm_ not pleased to meet _you_. Member of the impressed Rainsworth Dukedom? Don't make me laugh. You're as impressive as a dung beetle. Same goes with your mansion – everything is terrible and I expect the rest of your family is the same! Please, my granny lives in a better home than this barn!" This was a lie, but it had the intended effect – to unwisely piss Sharon off.

Sharon probably would've killed him right there and then but then she reluctantly remembered her promise to her mother. After taking a deep breath, she forced herself to take this neutrally and said politely, "I am sorry you are disappointed. Would you like some tea, Roy-kun?"

"Do _not_ say my name as if we're friends, and I'll have you know that I hate those pieces of liquid crap called tea! Get me something else, and I'd better like it, or I'll get you in trouble faster than you can say, 'Roy-sama, I'll get you something better!'" His mimicking of her voice was unusually high-pitched and lame.

Roy sounded a bit like a spoiled, bratty little aristocratic girl who had been pampered a bit too much in his short sixteen years of life.

It wasn't his actual insults that angered her; after all, she had heard much worst (mostly from Break insulting people he didn't like, or Reim-san insulting Break whenever he proved too annoying for him). However, it was the thought that counted and Roy's squealy imitation of her was the snapping point for Sharon.

She suddenly gave him another smile that was both sweet, kind, and yet terrifyingly creepy and sadistic. She reached for her paper fans, and ….

…. They weren't there.

After sensing nothing from Sharon, Roy opened his mouth to insult her and her household further, but before he could, Sharon threw back her head and let out a blood-curling scream that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up on end.

"WHERE ARE MY HARISENS!"

But the question already had an answer, as there was only one person in the entire Rainsworth Household who would've dared hide them from her, and that idiot was Break.

In his room, Xerxes Break heard his lady's scream and winced. "At least I locked the door …."

Five minutes later ….

Xerxes and Emily were having tea on Xerxes's balcony. Xerxes was finishing up his tenth cake when the door to break's room slammed open and Sharon came in, dragging some poor teenaged boy by the ear after her. (Apparently Break had forgotten to lock the door.) Break immediately assumed that the boy was the Roy child.

"Break!" said Sharon angrily. "What did you do to my harisens?"

Xerxes blinked and feigned ignorance as he set down the now-empty plate his had once held a cake and stood up to meet the fourteen-year-old – and to have the height advantage. "What's that you saaay? You've lost your paper fans, my lady?"

Sharon scowled, flushing. "Give them back to me, Xerxes! I know you have them …"

"Fu fu fu," laughed Break. "Now what, my lady, would I do with your infamous harisens? Do you know, Emily?"

For a moment, Sharon looked very resigned as if she'd accepted her fate long ago but still hadn't gotten used to it.

"No, I do not!"

"Seeee? I do not have your harisens?"

Unfortunately for Break, Sharon had already found them. She let go of Roy's ear and pointed to a rather impressive stack of paper fans by the bed.

"Ah," said Xerxes, looking at it thoughtfully. "Um." Think, Break, think! Your life is on the line here!" "Ahhh … Emily made me do it!" He pointed frantically at the blue-skinned doll. "You did, didn't you, Emily?"

Emily grinned eerily back. "Yes, I am very guilty!"

Sharon slowly advanced. Xerxes slowly backed up, his hands in the air. He smiled in a placating way at her.

"Now, now, Sharon-sama, there is no need to get violent, you can just take the fans and go and we'll juuust pretend this never happened …."

Sharon attacked. 'Pretending that this never happened' had never been much of a option for her.

SLAP-SLAP-SLAPITTY-SLAP-SLAP-WHAM-WHACK-PUNCH-THUD.

Roy, who had been slowly sneaking towards the door to freedom, stopped and started as his widening eyes showed him a thirteen-year-old girl (who was actually fourteen) beat up with her hands and knees a 30-year-old man (who was actually a lot older) who did not even have time to reach for the sword that hung at his side. In case you're wondering, the THUD was the sound of Break's body hitting the floor.

A bit of blood trickling form his mouth where Sharon had hit him very hard, Xerxes started half-groaning and half-laughing (very painfully). "Owww … my lady, that hurt, you knooow …."

Sharon went over and picked a fan off the floor, and then turned to a stunned Roy, her shell-coloured eyes flashing.

"Roy-kun, don't think I've forgotten about you."

Later that day, after Roy's parents had picked him up from the Rainsworth mansion, his parents were delighted to find him a kind, reformed, gentle, open, and lovely boy, which he remained until the end of his days – although he never explained the mysterious bruises he'd acquired in various places, and he always shivered at the mention of the Rainsworth Dukedom, especially at Sharon-san's name. Sharon had that effect on people.

**That's the end, I hope you weren't disappointed.**

**Reviews make me happy.**


	3. Lovely Day

**This chapter's going to be short … I'M SORRY!**

**Yeah okay.**

**I don't own Pandora Hearts … but you already knew that.**

**Probably.**

**Obviously if you'd known that, I wouldn't have HAD to tell you ….**

**BUT I DID TELL YOOOOUU!**

**I'm fine.**

**Okaaaay, shall we begin the story?**

Break the Punching Bag 2: Lovely Day

*Set six years after Oz was thrown into the Abyss.*

Sharon sighed in content as she sipped her tea; they were sitting together on the balcony. "What a beautiful afternoon. Don't you agree, Break?"

Xerxes Break, sitting across the small round table from her, shrugged. "Eh … it's fine. Buuuut, my laaaady, I have seen better days."

His words unintentionally prompted Sharon's pink [1.] eyes to widen and for her to lean forward in her chair. She set the tea cup down, a concerned expression forming on her face. "What? Why? Are you feeling well, Break? Have you been using your chain irresponsibly again?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You know the side effects of doing that! How do you expect to be useful and help the Rainsworth family if you cannot even take good care of your own self?"

Break grinned to himself indulgently. Seeing his lady grow flustered was one of his faaaaavourite things to do. It was just so funny, espeeeeecially that angry expression she'd get!

But … he had to be honest.

"My lady, I am fine," he assured her gently.

"Hmph. Are you?" said Sharon sceptically, sitting back in her chair again. You don't often … linger on the negative, unless it's about Vincent Nightray-san."

"Ojou-sama, he is a _sewer_ rat!"

Sharon sighed and barely managed to stop herself from facepalming. She was not going to get into another fight with Xerxes about what species Vincent Nightray belonged to [2.], no, not again ….

"Xerxes," she tried again. "Please … just answer the question."

Break caved in. "Alright, my lady, if you wish. What I meant when I said, 'I've seen better days', was, weeeell, a lot of things. For example, this morning, I woke up and I was lying on the floor! Can you believe it? It is, after all, _dreadfully_ uncomfortable on the cold floor, even when you're lying on blankets. Then Reim-san came in and gave me this _awful_ look that suggested and implied, although not stated, that he thought I was a retard. I'M NOT A RETARD! Isn't that right, Emily?"

"Yes, that's right, you're fine just as you are!" said the noseless doll happily.

"Thank yoooou, Emily!" Xerxes sighed, momentarily content, and returned his attention back to Sharon. "And _theeeen_, I told him to stop goggling – because he waaaas, staring like Gilbert-kun marvels at his little genius brother who apparently shoots better than him! So he came over and helped me up – though I didn't _really_ need help, I just thought it would be niiiiice to humour him – and then he asked me what I was doing on the floor, and I told him it was none of his business. It was an _awful_ start to the day, don't you think, Sharon-chan?"

"Uh huh," said Sharon in a monotone, letting out a sigh. She could see where this was going – a huge rant involving every little bad detail of Break's day, so he could bathe in a sort of teasing self-pity, which he didn't have much chance to do.

"Right!" said Xerxes enthusiastically with a smile. "I got dressed – but it took me such a looong time to find my jacket; the whole ordeal was horrible! I went to breakfast and I learned that your dear mother Shelly-sama was in bed, still sick – terrible! Breakfast wasn't very good too. I doooo remember specifically asking for cake, but I was brought _pancakes_ and _tea_ instead! Well, pancakes I don't mind as long as they have enough syrup, buuuut _tea_? I cannot stand it! No offense to you, of course."

Sharon stifled a groan as she realized that, despite it being a lovely day out, she didn't want to be out here anymore; at least not with _Break_.

"It was very irritating," continued Break. "Wasn't it, Emily?" "Yeah, it was!" "And then I had to go out and do a whole bunch of annoying chores for your family and Pandora … not that I don't mind doing chores for your famiiily, Sharon-san, but Pandora made me gather a whole bunch of information! I hate doing research, so I pushed Reim-san into the library and locked the door, telling him I would let him out again once he did all the research I needed! Then – "

"What?" Sharon sat straight up and stared at him. "You locked Reim-san in a room all by himself _again_? To do the work _you_ were assigned, Break? Xerxes, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that?"

"Weeell, to be honest, my lady," Xerxes replied, immediately making Sharon regret ever asking him that question, "I am not quite sure why you tell me all the time anywaaays, because you know I shall never listen to them anyways!" He smiled at her.

Grrr …. Her eye twitched.

"So, as I was saaaying, afterwards I did the remainder of my chores and came back to see how Reim-san was doing a few hours later. He dared throw a book at my head! A BOOK! Not even grateful that … I …" Xerxes paused, thinking hard.

"That I _ever_ decided to be his friend!" he exclaimed at last to Sharon's stormy expression. "At least he got the information I wanted …

"And _after_ – "

"Break," said Sharon.

Break looked at her distractedly. "Yes, my lady?"

"Shut. Up. PLEASE."

"Hmm … you did say please," said Break thoughtfully, finger on chin. "But … I will have to decline! After all, I haven't finished talking about my horrible day!"

Sharon stood up and glared at him angrily.

"So," said Break, ignoring his charge's scowling face, "my clothes began to get just a _little_ itchy, and it was awful! So I went back and changed – it was _such_ a bother! And then – hey, my laaady, what on earth are you doing?" he said, staring curiously.

Sharon drew her harisen and slapped it against her palm menacingly.

"Don't hurt me for committing no greater crime than talking about my day!" said Xerxes loudly. "Now, where was I … aaaaaah yes, the itchy clothing. So I haaad to get changed, and when I did, I couldn't find an extra jacket, so I was forced most unwillingly to hunt down Reim-san and sit on him until he gave me his!"

An epically long, incredulous silence from Sharon, quickly followed by a disbelieving whisper of, "You _sat_ on Reim until he gave you his jacket?"

"My lady," said the child/man of misfortune with a frown, "you make me sound like such a criminal …."

Instead of replying, Sharon chose to throw her harisen in one fluid motion right at Break's head. Break's single red eye widened and he jerked back so fast, the paper fan skimmed right above the air above his head, and with a loud _crack_, imbedded itself deep into the marble pillar against the outside of the wall behind him.

But when he'd jerked back, he'd shifted the balance of the chair, which, after a wobble, fell backwards, taking Xerxes and Emily down with it.

Sharon furiously stormed away in her high heels, determined to find Reim and console him in some way that would not traumatize him with more memories of Break.

On the floor, Xerxes stared up at the fan stuck the pillar, a bit awed as well as a bit fearful.

"Hmm," he mused. "Is Sharon-chan sure that thing is made out of paper?"

**[1.] To be honest, I never really figured out what colour, exactly, Sharon's eyes were.**

**[2.] I know that Break doesn't really think Vincent is _literally_ a sewer rat … but I think that's just the kind of thing he'd argue with Sharon about, right?**

**Hmm … that wasn't as short as I thought it would be.**

**Review, please!**


	4. Break Interrupts

**I don't own Pandora Hearts.**

Break the Punching Bag 4: Break Interrupts

*Set after the last chapter and before Oz was rescued from the Abyss.*

Sharon happily ran through the Rainsworth gardens, dragging a somewhat reluctant-looking Gil behind her. "Break!" she called out at the tall lollipop-sucking figure standing under an apple tree. "Break! I have some good news to tell you!"

Xerxes turned. "And what would that be, my laaady?"

"Well, Raven – "

"Oh myyy," interrupted Xerxes, looking at a cringing Gilbert (who'd had bad experiences with Break) and giving him a grin worthy of the Cheshire Cat. "If it isn't Gilly-kun … what bring you here?"

Acting as if he hadn't heard the question (which he probably hadn't), Gilbert immediately turned red and yelled angrily, "Don't call me Gilly-kun!"

Break twirled his lollipop around teasingly with his fingers. "Weeell then, would you rather I call you Gilly-chan?"

"NO!"

Sharon coughed a little in a (futile) attempt to get the attention of the two men.

"Gilly-chan, Gilly-chan, Gilly-chan," sang Xerxes happily.

"Sh-shut up! Just die!"

"Um … may I talk?" asked Sharon hesitantly.

"Giiiiillllllyyyyyy-chaaaaaan …."

"St-stupid one-eyed man!"

"Did you hear that, Emily?" said Break happily. "Gilly-chan called me a Cyclops!"

Sharon face-palmed.

"Seriously," snapped Gilbert. "I'm not joking, Break … don't call me Gilly-chan!"

Xerxes sighed like he was disappointed in him. "Okaaay, fine … Gilly-bert." He snickered meanly.

A pause.

"Please …," said Gilbert in a slightly desperate tone. "Please … just drop dead."

"Let – me – talk," said Sharon, slowly starting to loose her temper.

"Drop dead?" laughed Xerxes. "Nooooo thank you! And don't you think you should be nicer to your elders, Gilly-ku – "

"XERX-NII-SAN!" exploded Sharon violently. "JUST – SHUT – UP!"

And then she hit him with her fan.

"Owwww … that hurt, Sharon-saaan …"

He and Emily fell over and he started smiling and mumbling to himself. Occasionally he would wince from the pain, and groan.

Gilbert and Sharon stared at him for a moment.

"You know … sometimes he scares me," said Gilbert.

Rather than replying, Sharon proceeded to cause Break more pain by driving her heel into his side.

Gilly Nightray shuddered.

He wouldn't admit it to her face … but sometimes Sharon scared him too.

**And you know, I wanted to do a story solely consisting of Xerxes calling Gilbert Gilly-something, but I changed my mind because I couldn't think of a title that wouldn't sound completely stupid on paper. Oh well maybe I'll change my mind later.**

**In case you're wondering, Sharon hit Break rather than Gilbert because he started it and he annoys her faster.**

**Reviews for this chapter are welcome!**


	5. Oz's Crush

**I don't own Pandora Hearts.**

Break the Punching Bag 5: Oz's Crush

*Continued from the last chapter; actually set two years before chapter three, which would make it four years after Oz had been thrown into the Abyss.*

"Now," said Sharon, turning to Gilbert with a sweet smile that made him shiver. "Shall we return to the subject at hand?"

After a few long moments, Break got up, slowly and painfully, using his sword-in-cane to prop himself up better and feeling like an old man as he did so. Emily wobbled, and he steadied her as she sat on his shoulder. "But of course, my lady. So what is it that has you so excited?" He would about to say, "Did Gilly-kun finally manage to land himself a girlfriend?" but then decided he didn't want to get beating up again in such a short time since the last time.

"Why, don't you know?" exclaimed Sharon, clasping her hands together happily. "Gilbert-kun has finally managed, after two other previous tries, to create a legal contract with the Nightray's chain, the Raven!"

"So third time's the charm, eh?" Break glanced at the black-haired late teen and smirked.

"Shut up, old man."

"Now, now," said Sharon with another gentle and soothing smile. She gave each of them a sweet look. "Please don't fight, you two. We are here to celebrate the good news, are we not?"

Break and Gilbert shifted uncomfortably. "Y-Yes, Sharon-san."

"Oh Break, isn't this wonderful?" exclaimed Sharon, turning to Break happily, clapping her hands together in ecstasy. "Provided that he is still alive, which he should be if we delve into the Abyss correctly, we will finally be able to rescue Oz Vessalius-sama from the Abyss, and perhaps we will finally be able to find the truth of the events of a hundred years ago as well!"

Break's one scarlet eye lit up at the mention of finding the truth of the events. "Yes … I have waited long to obtain those memories. Do you think Oz-sama will be able to help us?"

"I'm sure he will at very least provide us some clue," said Sharon confidently. "After all, he's an important character to have broken the Baskerville's century of silence four years ago."

"Then I will alert the remainder of the Rainsworth Household and begin planning the preparations." Break stretched, and then winced. Apparently that stupid paper fan had hurt him a little more than he'd expected.

"Oh yes, but please do not tell Reim-san of any of this; this must remain a secret," said Sharon warningly. "It would be better if Duke Barma did not know of our plans. From what grandmother has told me about him, he would quickly take advantage of the information and twist it to suit his own devices, perhaps alerting Pandora of this plot before it is time. I know Reim-san is our friend and he means well, but …."

Gilbert shifted uncomfortably. He had nothing to say but still felt uncertain about being excluded from the conversation. He hoped Vincent had done his job and covered for him. His foster parents and foster siblings would ask questions if they discovered his temporary flight to the Rainsworth household.

"Right!" Xerxes smiled at Sharon. "I will not tell him, but don't get angry if I vex him by hinting at some hidden information he cannot access, and refusing to deliver it to him!" Sharon sighed as Break turned to go. And then he paused.

"Wait." He looked at the other two over his shoulder. "It must've slipped my mind because I don't recall thinking about it in so long, so I can't exactly remember … who is this Oz Vessalius again, exactly?"

Sharon and Gilbert practically fell over with shock.

"What?" said Break, frowning irritably. "You two are terribly undelightful children when you stare at me like that, you know."

"How can you not remember Oz Vessalius-sama?" exclaimed Sharon in exasperation.

"Weeeell, I have been swamped in work lately …."

"Work? What work? You've been making Reim do all the paperwork and everything else that's part of your job you which you don't find to your vague interest!" Sharon was furious.

"Don't you remember?" said Gilbert in disbelief. "Oz Vessalius is my beloved young master! He was thrown into the Abyss four years ago! You promised to find a way to release him from the Abyss if I joined the Nightrays for you! Don't tell me you've already forgotten, especially now that I've finally obtained the Raven."

Break gave them both a blank look.

Sharon reached for her harisen and Gilbert's hand twitched for his gun, but then their red-eyed companion suddenly put up his hand in a stop gesture, the hand that wasn't resting on his sword-in-a-cane.

"Hold up … I do think I recall something like that now," said Xerxes slowly. "Hmm … yes, I remember! Oz was that stupid-faced shota boy the Baskervilles dropped into the Abyss, no?"

Sharon face-palmed. Gil screeched wrathfully, "Do not insult my master!"

Ignoring Raven's newest contractor, Break turned to Sharon, an amused Cheshire grin spreading across his features, a devious look lighting up in his one remaining eye. Sharon looked back up at him uncertainly. "Yes … wasn't Oz that irritating boy _who had a crush on you_?"

Dead silence as memories came rushing back into the young Rainsworth's head. Oz attempting to flirt with her while she gently refused his offer to dance with him at the ceremony … Break, teasing him about shotas and Oz … Break, teasing him about shotas and Gilbert … Break, driving her insane ….

Sharon snapped. One moment she was standing with her hands resting against the front of her skirt folded politely, a thoughtful but irritated expression on her face, and the next she was letting out a feral, un-Sharon-like scream as she launched himself at the "it" thing that was Break, her bladed harisen raised high in the air.

Gilbert stood watching in shock as the unaging girl tackled a surprised Break, her harisen coming down and making loud whacking noises as the sides collided with his face.

About three minutes later, Break was officially lying unconscious and bleeding into the grass with Emily beside him, and Sharon was standing and straightening out her dress and hair. The paper fan had disappeared as if by magic.

Sharon turned to Gilbert with a polite smile on her face. Gilbert took a step back even as she said, "I think it's time you left and I finish discussing plans with Break. Shall I get fetch Reim-san – he's visiting my family the Rainsworths as of now – to see you out?"

"O-okay …"

And that is why to this day, Sharon has never hit Gilbert Nightray with her fans. Not even once. Mostly because Gilbert has never dared cross Sharon.

**Review please!**


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